Railroad gate operating system



May 10, 1932. w. H. PROPER RAILROAD GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed May 16, 1930 4 Sheets- Sheet l May 10, 1932. w. H. PROPER 1,857,869

RAILROAD GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed May 16, 1930 4 sheets-sheet 2 W. H. PROPER RAILROAD GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed May 16, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 10, 1932. w. H. PROPER 1,857,869

RAILROAD GATE OPERATING SYSTEM Filed May. 16, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. rnornn, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO BR. 0. T-RIMBLE, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA RAILROAD GATE OPER T M Application filed May 16,

This invention relates totrain energizable crossing gate operating systems, and the main object is to provide such a system which will automatically move the gatesat a grade 5 crossing into their operative or vehicle blocking position, upon the approach of train, and then return the "gates to theirnormal or inoperative position upon the departure of the train.

Another'object is to provide a gate. operating system of the character described which may be used to operate various forms of crossing gates, as for instance the gates disclosed in my copending application filed October 14, 1929, and given Serial Number 399,473, and which is again hereillustrated in exemplification of this present invention.

7 A further object isto provide a gateoper ating system which will be simple, durable,

' positive and efficient, and capable of be ng conveniently installed at any grade crossing for operation of the crossing gates thereat;

The foregoing and other objects together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect will best be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment, of the invention taken in connection with the, accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crossing over a railroad equipped with my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section along the line 2-2 in Figure 1 showing the barrier in the raised position.

Figure 3 is a section along the plane indicated byt-he line 33 in Figure 2, this view being reduced in scale and showing the operating mechanisms of both barriers.

Figure i'is a side view of the motor and barrier raisingcam and associated elements.

' Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the motor switch and the operating solenoids therefor. V

Figure 6 is an enlarged-section along the line 66 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of the resilient hinge: structure of the barriers.

Figure 8 is a View similar. to Figure 7 show ing the position of the barrier as depressed by the impact of a Vehicle.

1930. Serial No. 452,860.

Figure 9 is an ,enlargedrside View motor switch and solenoids.

Figure 10 is an enlarged section along the line 10-10 in Figure 2.

Figure 11 is a wiring diagram of the operating mechanism for-the barriers.

of the Referring now more particularly to the I drawings, A represents a railway track and B the crossingthereover. In installing my crossing gateoperating system at the crossing B a pit C is provided at one side of the said crossing to receive the various operating elements of the system butit will be understood that these operating elements may be located in a housing built upon the ground if so desired.

An electric motor 1 is mounted on a stand 2 securedto the bottom 3 of the pit C and the drive shaft 4 of this motor 1 is extended and provided with a worm 5. A housing 6 is mounted upon the bottom 3', the said housing being in the form of an inverted U and being set over the worm 5 andsecured in place by meansof its foot flanges 7. A shaft 8 is journaled transversely through the sides of the housing 6 below the worm 5 and a worm gear 9 is rigidly secured to this shaft in mesh with the said worm 5, by means of which said gear 9 is driven by the motor 1. A cam 10 is rigidly and eccentrically secured to the shaft 8 outside the housing 6 and is adapted to oscillate or rock a cable lever 11 fulcrumed at 12 to the said housing, the saidlever carrying at its upperenda roller 13 contacting the periphery of the cam. A pulleyl l is journaled by a screw 15 to the stand 2 of the motor 1 and a cable 16 is secured at 17 to the lower end of the lever 11 and is'thentrained over the pulley 14 and extended back alongside the cam 10 toward the crossing B. The cable 16 is then connected to the crossing gate operating mechanism in a manner to be described,

the arrangement being such that each time the upper end of the lever llnis swung outr ward or toward the motor 1 by the lobelOa of the cam 10 the gates will be swungor raised into operative or vehicle blocking po-'- sition. The gates will then be held in this position until the cam 10 is rotated back to the position shown, allowing the lever 11 to switching system now to be described, and

while I have indicated in the drawings that the electric current by means ofwhich the switches and motor are operated is derived from the conventional transmission line it is understood that any desired source of current may be used as may be found most practical in use.

A motor control switch is provided, the.

same comprising a pair of axially aligned solenoids 18 and 19 mounted upon brackets 20 secured to the bottom 3 of the pit C at the rear of the motor 1 and a core piece 21is lossely and slidably. mounted within the solenoids as shown, said solenoids being spaced apart somewhat to expose a medial portion of this core-piece 21. An electrically connected pair of spaced switch blades 22 is fulcrumed on a pin 23 secured to the bottom 3 and these blades are insulated from each other and from the bottom 3. An insulated arm 24 is rigidly secured to andextends from the switch blades 22 and is pivoted at its end 25 to a medial point of the core piece 21 in such manner that the switch blades 22 will be swung to and froas the core piece 21 is reciprocated in the solenoids l8 and 19. Two pairs of spaced switch clips 26 and 27 are mounted on the insulating blocks 28 and held in place by screws 29,- the clips being so disposed that the switch blades 22 may be swung therebetween to bridge or electrically connect the same together as will be understood from Figure 9 of the drawings.

Beside each of the rails A and at any desired distance from each side of the crossing B, a pair of spaced insulating switch contacts 30 are mounted, the contacts upon each side of the crossing being wired in parallel.

by the wires'3l as shown in Figure 1. These contacts 30 are adapted to be bridged or connected by a suitable contact brush (not shown) carried by the train or car traveling on the tracks A, the arrangement being such thatthe contacts upon one side of the crossing will be bridged during the approach of the train to the crossing, and those upon the other side will be bridged after th train passes the crossing, the first mentioned contacts being designated by 30a and the last by 30b in Figure 11. Obviously any other form of train operated switches may be used in lieu of the switches here shown and described. The source of current for the switching mechanism preferably, though not necessarily, is

drawn from a transformer 32, one side of the output circuit of this transformer being connected directly to both of the solenoids 18 and 19 by the wire 33 and the other side of the circuit being connected by wires 34 to the contacts 30, and thence by wires 34a to the free terminal of the solenoid 18 as shown.

As a train or car approaches the crossing B the brush (not shown) which it carries will bridge the approach contacts 30a, thus closing the circuit to the solenoid 18 which, be-

coming energized, will draw the core piece 21 inward into its center, which action will swing the-switch blades 22 upon their "fulcrum pin 23 and cause them to enter the switch clips 26 and 27. These switch clips 26 and 27 are each wired in series with one side of the input wires 35- carrying'the' current to the motor 1 and it will be understood that as the switch blades 22 are swung inward between the clips, the circuit will be closed through the motor, causing the motor to start and bring the lobe 10a of the cam 10 into en gagement with the lever 11. When this action takes place the crossing gates are moved into their operative position thru the pull exerted upon the cable 16 and extensions 16a and 16?) as hereinbefore pointed out, the said gates being operatively connected with the cables for that purpose. In order to disconnect and stop the motor 1 at this pointI provide a solenoid control switch comprising a circular switch cam 36 of insulating material which is secured on the shaft 8 outside the housing 6 and upon the end of shaft 8 opposite the cam 10. A pair of switch blades 37 and 38 of spring material are mounted on an insulating block39 secured to the bottom 3 of the pit C, the said blades extending upward alongside the switch cam 36. The blade 38 next to this cam 36 is pro vided with an angular offset 40 extending into proximity to theperiphery of'the said cam. The switch cam 36 carries lugs 11 and 42 at diametrically opposite points, which upon the rotation of the cam are adapted to strike the offset 40 of the switch blade 38, thus forcing this blade into contact with the blade 37. The switch cam 36 is so arranged on the shaft 8 relative to the cam 10 that when the lever 11 has been swung fully outward to operate the blades 22 to swing out of the switch'clips 26 i and 27 to disconnect and stop the motor. Inasmuch as the contact brush (not shown) carried by the train or car has now cleared the contacts 30a, the solenoid 18 will become dead and exert no pull opposite to that of the soleare noid 19 at this stage of the operation of the spring apart and so cut off the current to the solenoid 19 before the motor stops. This time interval is afforded during the swinging movement of the switch blades 22 out of the clips 26 and 27, and the impetus and momentum of the motor enables the lug to clear. A friction screw 44 is threaded through a stud 45 mounted through the top of the housing 6 and has a brake shoe 46 bearing on the motor shaft 4 to allow the impetus or momentum of the motor to be adjusted to such point that the motor will stop immediately after the contacts 37 and 38 are opened. As the car or train leaves the crossing B it bridges the contacts 306, the operation just described is repeated and the cam 10 is rotated a half revolution to cause the gates by gravity to return to their inoperative position. l/Vhen the train approaches the crossing from the other direction the operation is the same and it will be understood that the contacts 30 may be applied to any number of tracks.

The gate operating system is shown in the drawings as connected to crossing gates similar to those shown in my copending application filed October 14, 1929 under Serial Number 399,473. These gates are indicated at 47 and are hinged or pivoted at 48 in openings 49 provided in a covering or top 50 extending over the crossing, a pit 51 being provided below this top 50 as shown. Pulleys 52 and 53 are mounted in the pit 51 on the end wall 54 thereof and similar pulleys 55 and 56 are mounted on the bottom of the pit beneath each of the gates 47. The cable 16 is divided within the pit 51 into two sections 16a and 16?) one of which is trained over the pulleys 52 and 55 and connected to one of the gates 47 as shown at 58. The other cableis trained through the remaining pulleys 53 and 56 and an additional pulley 57 and is connected to the other gate as shown at 59, in such manner that a pull exerted on the main cables 16 thru the movement of the lever, as described, will result in raising or swinging the said gates upward on their pivots 48 to block vehicles approaching the crossing as will be understood. The cable 16 may be suitably connected to any other type of gate to raise or swing the same into the vehicle blocking position as will be understood.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor structural details, so as best to construct a practical system for the purposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim: 1 V

1. In an apparatus of the kind described for operating repair of railroad crossing gates,an electric motor mounted adjacent the crossingas a source of power for operating the gates, a pair of solenoids mounted adjacent the motor, one thereof being a motor switch closing solenoid and the other being a motor switch opening solenoid, two pairs of olectrie cal contacts arranged upon the railroad at each side of'the crossing, a suitable source of electricity, leads'connecting the motor with the source of electricity, a motor switch in the said leads, means for controlling the movements of the said motor switch'through the alternate energizing of the said solenoids for closing and opening the circuit through the said 1110- tor, leads operatively connecting the said contacts and solenoids with the source of electricity, and a switch in the lead of the motor switch opening solenoid, the same standing normally open, so that upon the temporary bridging of the said contacts at either side of the crossing the motor switch closing solenoid will be energized, and separate means for temporarily closing the switch in the lead of the motor switch opening solenoid upon the remoral of the bridging of the said contacts.

2. In an, apparatusof the kind described for operating a pair of railroad crossing gates, an electric motor mounted adj acent-the crossing as a. source of power for operating the gates, a pair of solenoids mounted adjacent the motor, one thereof being a motor switch closing solenoid and the other being a motor switch opening solenoid, two pairs of electrical contacts arranged upon the railroad at each side of the crossing, a suitable source of electricity, leads connecting the motor with the source of electricity, a motor switch in the said leads, means for controlling the move ments of the saidmotor switch through the alternate energizing of the said solenoids for closing and opening the circuit through the said motor, leads operatively connecting the said contacts and solenoids with the source of electricity, and a switch in the lead of the motor switch opening solenoid, the same standing normally open, so that upon the tem porary bridging of the said contacts at either side of the crossing the motor switch closing solenoid will be energized, separate means for temporarily closing the switch in the lead of the motor switch opening solenoid upon the removal of the bridging of the said contacts, the said latter means including a circular cam adapted to be rotated by the said motor, the said cam having a pair ofdiametrically opposite lugs adapted to impinge upon one of the elements of the switch in the lead of the motor switch opening solenoid to force it into contact with the other element thereof for closing the circuit thereat.

In a crossing gate operating system, in combination with a crossing gate, a motor,

loo

a cam driven by the motor, a lever adapted to be rocked by the cam, a cable operatively connecting the said lever and the crossing gate, train operated switches, a motor control switch, a solenoid controlled by the said train operated switches and adapted to close the said motor control switch, a solenoid control switch operated by the motor, a solenoid controlled by the said solenoid control switch and adapted to open the said motor control switch, a source of electricity, and wiring operatively connecting the said elements with the source of electricity.

4. In a crossing gate operating system, in combination with a crossing gate and a source of electrical energy, a motor, a cam driven by the motor, a lever engaging the said cam and adapted to be rocked thereby, a cable operati-vely connecting the said lever and crossing gate, train operable switches, a pair of solenoids, a core piece slidably mounted in the solenoids, switch blades operatively connected to the said pole piece, wires connecting the said source of electrical energy and the motor, switch clips mounted in series with the said wires and adapted to be bridged by the said switch blades, wires operatively connecting the said'train operable switches with the said solenoids and the source of electrical energy, and means for alternately energizing the said solenoids.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

' WILLIAM H. PRGPER. 

